Jar Of Hearts
by romanticangel92
Summary: Spoilers for 2x20'Prom Queen'.Rachel is stunned by Jesse's return and doesn't trust him at all but can she believe him when he apologises for how things ended with them and that he wants to make things right? St.Berry, mention of Finchel.


**Author's Note: I'm not really a Rachel/Jesse shipper but this is kind of my version of what could go down in 2x20 'Prom Queen'. I also felt like writing this when I was listening to glee's version of Jar of Hearts. Hope you like!.**

**This is a one-shot BTW but I might post a sequel one-shot up to it at some point if I feel inspired.**

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><p><strong>Jar of Hearts<strong>

_Who do you think you are?_

_Running round leaving scars_

_Collecting your jar of hearts_

_And tearing love apart._

_You're gonna catch a cold_

_From that ice inside your soul_

_So don't come back for me_

_Who do you think you are?_

Rachel Berry was in the auditorium that afternoon, preparing for prom that night. She was planning to give a performance that evening of course and was practicing to make sure that everything was perfect with her song vocally which of course it was as she was professional with years of training under her belt so everything was going to go off without a hitch even if she didn't practice. She was after all naturally talented and destined for these kinds of performances in her future as a broad way star.

Rachel was just looking over the lyrics on the piano when she heard footsteps approaching behind her on the stage in the school auditorium. Rachel didn't bother looking around and she didn't need to as the approaching figure said her name.

"Hello Rachel" an all too familiar voice said and Rachel immediately froze in her place. She knew that voice, she recognised it immediately but that was impossible. He couldn't be here, he shouldn't be here, he was supposed to be attending college in L.A and not sharing the same air as her right now. This was a nightmare, it had to be and Rachel was going to wake up any minute now from it.

However she felt the figure behind her come closer and she snapped out of her shock in time to turn around slowly to see Jesse , her former boyfriend and Vocal Adrenaline rival standing there with a smile on his face. She immediately felt the urge to go over there and slap it off his face but reminded herself that she was a rational human being and violence never solved anything so she remained in place.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, staring at him, trying to figure out what he was up to now. Last time he was anywhere near her, it ended badly for her and for her fellow Glee club and she refused to trust him ever again after that.

"I'm here because I want to make amends, Rachel. I realise now how wrong I was" Jesse replied, walking towards her but Rachel took a few steps back and gave him her most mistrusting look. She wasn't going to fall for his charm and good looks as easily as she had the last time. He had proven Finn and the rest of Glee right about him and made Rachel look like a fool and humiliated her. She'd be damned before she trusted him that easily again or forgive him so quickly. She wasn't going to make it easy for him, oh no, it was going to be quite the opposite.

"I can't believe that for a second" Rachel told him, folding her arms across her chest."You made me look like a fool and you humiliated me. You egged me in the middle of a parking lot while your vocal adrenaline friends stood behind you laughing at me! You broke my heart, Jesse, how am I ever supposed to believe you and that you're not up to something now?"

At her words, Jesse's smile faded and his expression turned to one of what appeared to be genuine shame but Rachel knew how good an actor Jesse really was. She wasn't so sure she could believe it was real.

"I know and I'm sorry. Do you not think that I don't spend every waking second regretting the way that things ended between us? Rachel, you were the best thing to happen to me after music and I treated you like trash. I'm sorry" Jesse apologised, his expression serious, probably the most serious that Rachel had ever seen it.

"I don't know if I can believe that you are telling the truth or not. As I recall you were always such a very good actor" Rachel told him, her doe brown eyes narrowed at him. "I don't blame you" Jesse agreed with her."And yes, I am aware that I am an excellent actor. I won all of the leads in the school plays at Carmel high so it is true that my acting ability is excellent but I promise you that I'm not acting right now. Right now, I'm just Jesse St. James, the boy who broke his own heart when he broke yours"

"You don't mean that" the brunette girl replied, not trusting him."You never loved me or you wouldn't have done those things you did"

"That's not true. While I was an ass and I shouldn't have humiliated you so badly or ditched you the way I did, I always loved you, all the time we were together I loved you almost as much as we both love music and broad way and I think you can agree that's a lot of love. Finn Hudson treated you badly from what you told me about him but yet you can believe he loves you. Why can't you believe the same of me?" Jesse pointed out, looking more vulnerable than Rachel had ever seen him but still, all of the hurt and pain that he had put her through came rushing back and she felt her defences protecting her heart a lot more closely.

She wanted to believe what he said but it was hard after everything. She never knew what part of their relationship were lies and what was real for him. However she saw the desperate look for forgiveness in his eyes and knew that was at least genuinely sorry for everything that had happened between them.

"Alright, I believe you're sorry" Rachel said at last and Jesse smiled and began walking closer to her until she put her hand up."But I don't believe you came back just to apologise to me"

"Part of the reason I am here is to apologise because I really do mean everything I say. I wish I could take back what I did but I can't" Jesse sighed realising that Rachel was still mistrusting his motives and he wasn't really all that surprised if he was being honest with himself."And the other part is because I'm here to help New Directions prepare for nationals"

"You're what? Are you insane?" Rachel demanded, her eyes flashing with anger."I let you fool us all once before but I won't do it again. You can't help us"

"Well that's too bad because I was invited to help" Jesse shot back at her."And I accepted because despite what happened between us all, I genuinely think that you have a great shot of winning nationals if you have the proper coaching and as a musical talent myself, I believe I'll make a great consultant on what will help you win in New York"

"Whilst you may have a point about your musical talent and you are certainly more than qualified to help us, I am not sure whether I can believe you have good intentions. After all, wouldn't you want to see your old school win nationals?" she pointed out and Jesse smiled at her wryly.

"You really think I'm out to get you don't you?" he stated before shaking his head softly and continuing "I'm not, honestly, I just want to help. I'm on spring break, I have nothing to do and spending time with the girl that I still love and helping her team win nations seems like a great way to pass the time"

"The girl you what?" Rachel exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

"The girl I still love. I still love you Rachel and if I can win you back while I'm here, well that will just be an added bonus won't it?" Jesse smirked at her confidently, that old familiar charm and arrogance sliding back into place as if he had never let his guard down in front of her to begin with.

"Good luck with that, Jesse. You shouldn't have come back if that's what you're hoping for because it will never happen. I don't trust you" Rachel exclaimed softly and Jesse's smirk didn't waver. He was still so certain of himself, Rachel could see that clearly but she wasn't going to give in like he thought she was. She was not going to risk her heart like that ever again; she wasn't going to be made to look like a fool. Jesse was an idiot if he thought other wise.

"Maybe but I am going to win back your trust and your love somehow. I'm going to help win your team win nations if that's what it takes and do you have a date for prom tonight? I hear that it's your prom night here at McKinley" Jesse spoke and Rachel stared at him blankly for a moment before frowning at him.

"What?" she looked confused by his sudden switch of subjects.

"Prom. Do you have a date?" Jesse looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"Well no...Sam turned me down and-"

"Well that's settled then. I'll be your date for Prom" Jesse grinned at her and Rachel felt her breath leave her body, whether it was from the grin or his declaration that he would be her date for prom, she wasn't all that sure at the moment.

"You can't. I told you I don't want you back and I don't trust you. I think taking you to prom would give you the totally wrong idea about us as prom dates are traditionally dating when they go to prom together" Rachel answered him relieved that her voice wasn't exposing her feelings to him like an open book.

"I heard you, Rachel and whilst I love you and intend on making you love me again, I can assure you that we can go to prom together purely as friends. It'll be completely platonic, I promise you. I wouldn't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable" Jesse promised her and Rachel fell silent for a moment.

She didn't trust him, she didn't want to date him but she had no date for prom and she would look slightly stupid if she went dateless. Jesse was good looking and the two of them had made a good couple once upon a time. She supposed she could break her own rules just for one night and nothing was going to happen between the two of them, she would make sure of it.

"Fine but only as friends" Rachel said at last, picking up her bag off the piano bench and starting to walk off the stage.

"I'll pick you up at seven" Jesse smirked as he watched her go. The two of them would be together again in no time, he would make sure of it and the next time, he wasn't going to be stupid enough to ever let anything come between them ever again.


End file.
